Modern Chinese history and traditional Chinese culture; global, transnational and comparative studies. My current research focuses primarily on Chinese almanacs and "encyclopedias of daily use" (riyong leishu) in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties

An interpretive study of the Tongzhi Restoration (1862-l874) from the perspective of foreign employees in the Chinese service (Robert Hart in particular) as well as the Chinese who employed them.

Marking Time and Mapping Change: Popular Science in Late Imperial China [book]

A study of evolving Chinese attitudes toward the natural world as reflected in almanacs (tongshu; huangli, etc.) and other popular writings. Some of my preliminary thoughts on this topic can be found at http://www.slideshare.net/smithrj/encyclopedias-in-late-imperial-china-2014-36080622.

"The Land of Ritual and Morality (Liyi zhi bang)": Theories of Right Behavior in Late Imperial China [book]

This book, based on a wide variety of primary sources, examines the political, social and cultural significance of ritual (li) in late imperial China. Focusing on the realms of both theory and practice, it seeks to show that there were virtually no areas of Chinese life in which ritual was not a central preoccupation. Testimony to the enduring value of li in traditional China may be found in the venerated classic texts known as the Yili (Etiquette and Ritual), Zhouli (Rites of Zhou), and Liji (Record of Ritual), which together exerted a profound influence on Chinese society from the Han period through the Qing. For hundreds of years the Chinese commonly referred to China as "the land of ritual and righteousness" (liyi zhi bang), equating the values of li and yi with civilization itself.

The Cultural Role of Chinese "Encyclopedias of Daily Use" (riyong leishu) in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties [book]

In recent years, Asian and Western scholars have begun to give systematic attention to a variety of sources that have been long-neglected in the study of Chinese social life in late imperial times. One such source, known generically as “encyclopedias for daily use” (日用類書), has proven to be particularly valuable in shedding light on the kinds of materials that enabled literate non-elites to acquire information necessary to negotiate their lives in a world that was growing increasingly complex and in certain ways unstable from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) onward. Not surprisingly, given the historical impulse to identify origins and turning points, most of the research on encyclopedias for daily use has concentrated on either their genesis in the Song dynasty (960-1279) or their dramatic development in the late Ming (1368-1644) era—both of which were periods when political, economic and social changes in China were transforming (and unsettling) many realms of Chinese life. However, comparatively little attention has been given to encyclopedias in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). This is the gap that my research aims to fill.

Richard J. Smith, Kunio Miura and Chie Kato "Tsusho no sekai: Chugokujin no hierabi (The World of Almanacs: Day-Selection [Divinatory Practices] of the Chinese People)."

Book chapters

Richard J. Smith "Albert Terrien de LaCouperie (1845-1894), the Yijing (易經), and the Debates in Europe and Asia over the “Western Origins of Chinese Civilization”." Sinologists as Translators in the 17–19th Centuries (2017) In Press

Richard J. Smith "Collaborators and Competitors: Western Translators of the Yijing (Classic of Changes) in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries." Sinologists as Translators in the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries (2016) : 385–434.

Richard J. Smith, "Divination: Science, Technology, and the Mantic Arts in Traditional China," in Helaine Selin, ed., Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Dordrecht: Springer, 2016.

Richard J. Smith "The Cultural Role of the Yijing (Classic of Changes) in China and Beyond." The Wiley Blackwell Companion to World Literature, 3Submitted

Richard J. Smith "The Legacy of Daybooks in Late Imperial and Modern China." Popular Culture and Books of Fate in Early China: The Daybook Manuscripts (rishu) of the Warring States, Qin, and Han (2017) In Press

Richard J. Smith "Why the Yijing (Classic of Changes) Matters in an Age of Globalization." Why Classical Chinese Philosophy Matters in the Global AgeSubmitted

Smith, Richard J. "Divination: Science, Technology, and the Mantic Arts in Traditional China," forthcoming in Helaine Selin, ed., Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures 2014

Smith, Richard J. Albert Terrien de LaCouperie (1845-1894), the Yijing, and the Debates in Europe and Asia over the “Western Origins of Chinese Civilization,” forthcoming in Lawrence Wang, ed., Sinologists as Translators in the 17-19th Centuries: Archives and Context

Smith, Richard J., "The Legacy of Rishi in Chinese Civilization," forthcoming in Marc Kalinowski and Donald Harper, eds., Popular Culture and Books of Fate in Early China

Smith, Richard J. “An Overview of Divination in China from the Song through the Qing: Some Issues and Approaches,” forthcoming in Michael Lackner, ed., Divinatory Traditions in East Asia: Historical, Comparative and Transnational Perspectives.

Richard J. Smith, "Divination In Late Imperial China: New Light On Some Old Problems," in The Imperative of Reading: Chinese Philosophy, Comparative Philosophy, and Onto-Hermeneutics

"Qing Perspectives on Yuan Dynasty Yijing (Classic of Changes) Scholarship: Evidence from the Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao (Annotated General Catalogue of the Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries)"

Richard J. Smith "The Place of the Yijing (Classic of Changes) in World Culture: Some Historical and Contemporary Perspectives." Journal of Chinese Philosophy (in press)

Richard J. Smith "The Teachings of Ritual and the Rectification of Customs: Echos of Tradition in the Political Culture of Modern China." Between Tradition and Change: Studies in Modern Chinese History (1998)

Presentations

Conference Paper

"Ways of World Making: Constructing and Deconstructing Chinese Culture. Paper for the Twentieth National Conference of the Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP). Houston, Texas." (March 15, 2014)

Invited Papers

Richard J. Smith, “Why the Yijing 易經 (Classic of Changes) Matters in an Age of Globalization.” Paper for the International Symposium on “Why Classical Chinese Thought Still Matters in the Age of Globalization,” University of Dallas, November 18-21, 2015.

Smith, Richard J. Albert Terrien de LaCouperie (1845-1894), the Yijing, and the Debates in Europe and Asia over the “Western Origins of Chinese Civilization,” for the conference on "Sinologists as Translators in the 17-19th Centuries: Archives and Context," University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, May 14-16, 2013

Smith, Richard J., "The Cultural Role of Popular Encyclopedias (日用類書) in Qing Dynasty China (1644-1912)" for the conference on “Divination, Language and Rationality,” University of Erlangen, Erlangen, German, May 30-31, 2013.

Smith, Richard J. “Collaborators and Competitors: Western Translators of the Yijing (Classic of Changes) in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.” Paper for the International Conference on “Sinologists as Translators in the 17th-19th Century,” Institute of Chinese Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong, October 27-28, 2011.

Smith, Richard J. “Key Concepts of Fate and Prediction in the Yijing (Classic of Changes).” June 6, 2011. Paper for the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities Conference on “Ming and Fatum—Key Concepts of Fate and Prediction in Comparative Perspective,” University of Erlangen, Germany, June 29-July 3, 2011.

""The Yijing (Classic of Changes) in Global Perspective"." International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece. (July 5, 2003)

"The Yijing (Classic Of Changes) in Global Perspective: Some Reflections." Book of Changes World Conference, Chung-li, Taiwan. (September 30, 2002)

"The Yijing (Classic of Changes) in Global Perspective: Some Pedagogical Reflections." International Conference on Remaking Asia Pacific Studies: Knowledge, Power, and Pedagogy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. (December 4, 2002)

Invited Talks

Richard J. Smith, “Historical Perspectives on East Asia: Problems and Possibilities,” lecture for the Asia Society and the World Affairs Council, Houston, TX, October 29, 2016

Richard J. Smith, "The Diversity of Confucian Ideas and Ideals: Examples from Commentaries on the Yijing (aka I Ching or Classic of Changes)," invited lecture for the East-West Center's Institute on “Confucian Asia,” Honolulu, Hawaii, June 15, 2016

Richard J. Smith, “The Historical Persuasion,” lecture for the Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees, Houston, TX, November 21, 2016

Richard J. Smith, “The Rise and Contemporary Manifestations of Nationalism in China,” Department of History, University of Houston, Houston, TX, December 5, 2016

Smith, Richard J., "The Cultural Role of Popular Encyclopedias Late imperial China" for the Faculty Workshop on "The World of China from Confucius to Deng Xiaoping," University of Central Oklahoma, September 12-14, 2013.

Smith, Richard J. “The Significance of the Yijing or Classic of Changes: An Overview.” Lecture for the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, January 29, 2011.

"Confucian Temples in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan: Is Confucianism a Religion, and Is This a Question Worth Asking?"." National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Columbia University. (December 2, 2004)

""Chinese Ways of Worldmaking"." University of Hawaii's Asian Studies Development Program on "Chinese Culture and Society", University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas. (February 14-15)

""New Technologies: Some Pedagogical Reflections"." Annual meeting of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, Indiana. (October 25, 2003)

""Salient Aspects of China's Heritage I" and "Salient Aspects of China's Heritage II"." University of Hawaii's Asian Studies Development Program on "Chinese Culture and Society,", East-West Center of the University of Hawaii, Manoa campus, Honolulu, Hawaii. (July 23-25)

"'The Principle Is One But the Manifestations Are Many:' Confucianism Across Time And Space." Rice University Continuing Studies course on Chinese philosophy and religion, Rice University. (October 23, 2002)

"Divination in Late Imperial China: New Light on Some Old Problems." Invited paper for the conference on Divination in Cross-Cultural Perspective (in honor of Professor Ho Peng Yoke, retiring Director of the Needham Institute), Cambridge, University. (December 7-8, 2001)

"Gods, Ghost and Ancestors: Religion in China, Past and Present." Lecture for the Houston Center of the Asia Society and Rice University's Continuing Studies program on the Forbidden City, Houston Texas. (May 8, 2001)

"Images and Realities: An Overview of Political and Commercial Advertising in Contemporary China." Conference on "Advertising Culture and the Formation of Transnational and Local Identities in Asia"/University of Hong Kong and the Rice University Transnational China Project, Hong Kong. (March 5-6, 2001)

"Japan's Early Entry on The World Stage: The Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) and Its Consequences." Lecture for a Rice University Continuing Studies series on Japan, Houston, Texas. (October 25, 2001)

"Jesuit Interpretations of the Yijing (Classic of Changes) and Their Legacy." Invited paper for the conference on Matteo Ricci and After: Four Centuries of Cultural Interactions between China and the West/City University of Hong Kong and Beijing University, City University of Hong Kong and Beijing University. (October 13-16, 2001)

"Monarchy in the Emperor's Eyes: The Forbidden City as the Center of the Universe." Lecture for the Houston Center of the Asia Society and Rice University's Continuing Studies program on the Forbidden City, Houston, Texas. (February 20, 2001)

"Qing China (1644-1912) in Global Perspective." for the conference on "Teaching World History and Geography 2000", Austin, Texas. (February 11, 2000)

"Sharing Heart And Mind: The K.C. Liu Model Of China Studies At U.C. Davis." panel on "The Maturation of Modern Chinese History in the United States: Selected Types of Programs for the 21st Century." American Historical Association, Chicago, Illinois. (January 7, 2000)

"Reflections on the 'Great Commentary' (Dazhuan) of the Yijing (Classic of Changes)." Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference of the Association for Asian Studies, San Marcos, Texas. (October 23, 1999)

"Heaven's Will and Life's Lot: Inquiries into the Concept and Practice of Ming in Chinese Culture." Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, Washington, D.C.. (March 26-29, 1998) With Chair and commentator on panel papers

""China's Early Modernization and the Contrast with Japan;" "China in the 20th Century;" "The People's Republic Today"." National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Rice University. (February 28, 2004)

""From the Han (206 B.C.E-220 C.E.) to the Tang (618-907);" "From the Song (907-1279) to the Qing (1644-1912)"." National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Rice University. (January 24, 2004)

""Ways of Worldmaking: An Approach to the Study of Cultures;" "The Land and People of China: Realities and Representations;" " Chinese Language and Chinese Logic;" "Premodern Chinese History: From Neolithic Times to the Qin (221-206 B.C.E.)"." National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Rice University. (January 17, 2004)

""Globalization and Identity" (panel on consumerism and identity formation)." Shanghai University and the Hong Kong Institute of Cultural Criticism, Shanghai and Hong Kong. (December 9-11)

Guest lectures by Professor Nanxiu Qian and Dr. Steven Lewis. "Faculty Development Institute on East Asia." National Consortium on Teaching about Asia (Rice Center), Rice University. (January 16-February 16, 2002) With I conducted most of the sessions